Differential gear.



DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.

APPLICATION man MAR. 26, 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. H. SPARKS.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26. 7915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s snaars-smm 3.

Patented Baa. 28

T. H. SPARKS.

DlFFERENTIAL GEAR APPLICAHON man MAR. 26. I915.

CHE-ulna warren STATES Parana onnicn.

THOMAS H. SPARKS, OF WICHITA, KANSAS.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.

Application filed March 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Trrouas H. SPARKS, acitizen of the United States, residing at \Vichita, in the county ofSedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Differential Gears; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the'same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in transmissiongears for engines and the object in view is to produce an apparatus ofthis nature so constructed as to provide for varying speeds with varyingdegrees of power.

The invention consists further in the provision of an emergencyt'ansmission gear whereby the pulling power of the engine may beincreased over the apparatus being driven.

The invention consists further in the provision of a transmission gearin which the engine is relieved of extra strain under an increased load.

The invention comprises various other details of construction,combinations and arrangements ofparts which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying. drawings and then specificallydefined in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a central transverse sectional view through the transmissiongear apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through themechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional viewshowing the means for locking the parts to rotate together. through theshaft showing in elevation a means for locking one of the gear bands tothe casing. Fig. 5 is a top plan view with a part of the casing removed,and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of a part ofthe invention.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numeral, 1designates a suitable housing of the transmission in which bearings 2are mounted in a suitable housing 3, and 4 and 5 designate stub axlesupon Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Serial No. 17,290.

which the driven wheels of the apparatus are adapted to be mounted.Mounted loosely upon the .two axles are the two similar casings 6 and 7and the marginal edge of the flange of each casing is provided withrecesses forming, when the two parts are fastened together, aperturesfor the reception of the stub shaft 8, there being four of said shafts,as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said stub shafts being mounted n radial apertures in a disk 9 which has cyl pdrlcal recesses in itsopposite faces in which the inner ends of the axles 1 and 5 havebearings. The outer end of each stub shaft 8 is mounted in recesses inthe outer marginal edge of the shell of the casing sections 6 and 7 Uponreference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that each of thesections 6 and 7 has oppositely disposed recesses 10 in which thebeveled gear wheels 11, which are journaled upon the stub shafts 8, arepositioned. Fixed to the axles at and 5 are the beveled gear wheels 12and 13 which are in mesh with a pinion 1-1 which is loosely mounted uponthe stub shaft 8. 15 designates a gear band,the marginal edge of theopening therein having a bearing upon a' shoulder 16 of the casingsection (3. and ball bearings 17 are inounted in suitable racewaysformed in the adjacent faces of the gear band 15 and a disk 18. Adriving shaft, designated by numeral 15". has fixed thereto a beveledgear 15 which is in mesh with the teeth of the gear band 15. A secondgear band, designated by numeral 19. has a. central opening. themarginal edge of which fits over and has a hearing about a shoulder- 20upon the casing section 7. and the teeth upon the two axle sections 15and 19 are in mesh with the beveled gear 11 which is loosely mountedupon the stub shaft 8. Said gear band 19 has a raceway upon its outerface and cooperates with a similar raceway formed in the inner face of adisk 21 to receive the balls Bolts, designated by numeral 23, passthrough registering apertures in the disk 18. the two casing sections 6and 7 and the disk "21 and hold the same securely together. Thecircumteronce of the gear band 19 is provided with slots or recesses 9%at intervals. and designates a spider disk having lingers 2t thereonwhich. when the disk is driven to its farthest inner throw, are adaptedto engage said slots or recesses :24. It will be noted that the interiorsurface of the housing is provided with grooves 26 in which said fingers26 are mounted and in which they have a play as the disk is moved towardor away from the differential. By this construction, when the fingersare thrown into engagement with the slots of the ear band 19, a rigidmeans will be afforded or holding said band locked to the housing. Ayoke 27 has connection through the pivots 28 with said spider disk atpoints diametrically opposite, said yoke having integral therewith ahollow c lindrical portion 29 for the reception 0 the rod 30 which isadapted to be rocked by any suitable lever-actuated mechanism, notshown, within convenient reach of the operator.

Upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings will be noted. a locking bolt,designated by numeral 31, having an offset or head 32 at one end, therebeing shown in the drawings four of said bolts, each movable throughregistering apertures in the disk 18, casing sections 6 and 7 and indisk 21 and the ends of said bolts project beyond the outer face of thedisk 21 and each is recessed with the threaded wall for the reception ofa screw 34 which passes through an aperture in a disk 35, having a boss36 around the central opening 37 therein, and 38 is a. disk which isfastened to the outer end of said boss, leaving a space interveningbetween the same and the disk 35 for the reception of the spider disk25. Screws, designated by numeral 39, one of which is shown in Fig. 1,pass through registering apertures in the disks 38 and 35 and the innerend of one screw projects beyond the inner face of the disk 35 and overwhich a coiled spring 10 is held, which passes through an aperture inthe disk 21 and its inner end is seated in a recess formed in the casingsection 7, the purpose of said s rings being to normally hold the bolts31 1n the positions shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which the disk18 and gear band 15 are locked securely together.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, I have shown a slight modificationof a part of the invention in which, instead of the beveled gear 15 asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, I provide a driving shaft 12 having aworm 43 thereon which is in mesh with worm teeth 11 formed upon the gearband 45 which in other respects is similar to the gear band 15.

In operation, when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and lockedtogether by means of the headed bolts, a detail of one of which is shownin Fig. 3,. the various parts within the housing will, with theexception of the spider disk and shifting arm 31 connected thereto,rotate together when power is applied through the medium of the engineshaft 15*. When the apparatus,

der 16 of the casing. Immediately after the bolts are released fromtheir engaging relation shown in Fig. 3, the spider disk, which is alsomoving with the bolts, will be so positioned that the fingers 26 thereonwill engage the recesses 21 formed in the marginal edge of the gear band19, thus locking the latter, through the medium of the spider disk, tothe housing. When the parts are adjusted in these positions, a rotarymovement imparted through the medium of the driving shaft 15 will causethe gear band 15 to rotate independent of the disk 18 and the casings 6and 7. Motion is imparted from the gear band 15 to the gear wheel 11which is in mesh with the gear band 19.

It will be understood that, as the gear band 19 is locked to thehousing, it will require twice the revolution of the gear band 15 to bemade to one of the casing sections 6 and 7 which carry the axlesrotating therewith. This operation of the apparatus will divide thestrain between the engine and the housing, thus relieving the engine ofsubstantially half the pulling strain of the car. When the parts are inadjusted positions, various speeds may be had through the usualtransmission mechanism, not shown, and, when the parts are thusadjusted, all speeds found in the regular transmission are duplicated athalf .speed with increased power of the engine. when operated in thisway, the engine is required to stand only half the pulling strain at anyspeed had in the regular transmission.

What I claim to be new is 1. In combination with a differential andeasing therefor, a housing about the casing, gear bands mounted torotate loosely about the casing, gear connections between the bands,means for locking one band to the housing, and gear mechanism fordriving the other band.

2. In combination with a differential and casing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the casing,gear connections between the hands, a spider disk mounted upon thehousing and adapted to engage and lock one of the gear bands to thehousing, and gear mechanism for driving the other band.

3. In combination with a differential and gear bands mounted to rotateloosely about the casing, gear connections between the bands, one ofsaid bands having recesses formed therein, a spider disk carried by thehousing and having fingers adapted to engage the recessed band to lockthe latter to the housing, and gear mechanism for driving the otherband.

4. In combination with a differential and easing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the casing,gear connections between said bands and means for causing the bands torotate with the casing.

5. In combination with a differential and easing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the,casing, gear connections between said bands. disks fastened to saidcasing, ball bearings between said bands and disks, bolts passingthrough said disks and casing and adapted to hold one of said bands fromrotation independent of the casing, and gear mechanism for driving theband thus locked.

6. In combination with a differential and easing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about 'thecasing, gear connections between said bands, disks fastened to saidcasin ball bearings between said bands and disks, bolts passing throughsaid disks and casing and adapted to hold one of said bands fromrotation independent of the casing, gear mechanism for driving the bandthus locked, means for releasing the bolts, and mechanism for lockingthe other of the bands to the housing.

7. In combination with a differential and easing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the casing.disks fastened to said casing, ball bearings between said bands anddisks, bolts passing through said disks and casing and adapted to holdone of said bands from rotation independent of the casing, gear in'ech-'adapted to hold one of said bands from rotation independent of thecasing, gear mechanism for driving the band thus looked, a spider diskhaving fingers for engagement with recesses formed in one of said bands,a yoke fastened to the spider disk, and a shaft for moving said yoke.

9. In combination with a differential and casing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the casing,gear connections between said bands, disks fastened to said casing, ballbearings between said bands and disks, headed bolts passing throughregistering apertures in the disks and casing sections, one of saiddisks having openings through which the bolt heads move, the adjacentgear band being recessed for the reception of the heads of the bolts, adisk to which the ends of the bolts are fastened and provided with aboss, a diskfixed to said boss, a spider disk interposed between thedisks which are fastened to said bolts and boss and having fingers forengagement with recesses in one of said gear bands, springs for normallyholding the heac'fs of the bolts in the recesses of said bands, and ayoke for moving said spider disk.

10. In combination with a differential and easing therefor, a housingabout the casing, gear bands mounted to rotate loosely about the casing,gear connections between said bands, disks fastened to said casing, ballbearings between said bands and disks, headed bolts passing throughregistering apertures in the disks and casing sections, one of saiddisks having 0 enings through which the bolt heads move,the adjacentgear band being recessed'for the reception of the heads of the bolts, a.disk to which the ends of the bolts are fastened and provided with aboss, a disk fixed to said-boss, a spider disk interposed between thedisks which are fastened together and having fingers for engagement withrecesses in one of said gear bands, the inner surface of the housinghaving grooves for the reception of said fingers, springs for normallyholding the heads of the bolts in the recesses of said bands, and a yokefor moving said spider disk.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS H. SPARKS.

\Vitnesses A. L. Honor-r, FRANKLIN H. HOUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

DISCLAIMER,

1,165,915.Th0mas H. Sparks, Wichita, Kans. DIFFERENTIAL GEAR. Patentdated December 28. 1915. Disclaimer filed July 23, 1925, by theassignee, Ruckstell Sales (6 Maw-ufaczuring Company.

Hereby enters the following disclaimer:

(a) To any combination of the recited BlQII'lOIltS of claims 1 to 10inclusive of said Letters Patent. except as an auxiliary to the main orregular transmission and clutch mechanism of a motor vehicle for thepurpose of doubling the various speeds of said main or regulartransmission and increasing the driving power of the motor;

(b) To anycombination of the recited elements of claims 1 to 10inclusive wherein the gear connections between the bands are notjournalled on the (Iifierential casing;

(0) From claim 1, any means for locking one band to the housing otherthan a positive member performing the alternative function of alsocausing both bands to rotate with the casing;

(d) In claim 4, any means for causing the bands to rotate with thecasing other than a shiftable member performing the alternative functionof positively locking one band to the housing.

'[OflZm'aZ Gazette August I], 1925,]

